Hitherto, a heater, a wafer prober and the like, using a metal base material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy, has been used in semiconductor producing or examining devices comprising an etching device, a chemical vapor deposition device and the like.
However, a heater made of a metal has problems that its temperature controllability is poor and its thickness also becomes thick so that the heater is heavy and bulky. The heater also has a problem that corrosion resistance against corrosive gas is poor.
To solve these problems, JP Kokai Hei 11-40330 suggests a heater wherein a ceramic such as aluminum nitride is used instead of a metal.
However, aluminum nitride itself, which is a base material constituting this heater, is generally white or light gray; therefore, it is not preferred for the use of a heater or a susceptor. Whereas, color of black has a larger radiant heat amount, therefore it is suitable for such a kind use. Color of black is particularly preferred for the use of a wafer prober or an electrostatic chuck since it has a high capability of covering up an electrode pattern. Furthermore, when the surface temperature of a heater is measured with a thermoviewer (surface thermometer) in the case of the substrate being white or light gray, the amount of radiant heat thereof does not become constant so that accurate measurement of the temperature has been impossible.
In inventions in the prior art which are disclosed in JP Kokai Hei 9-48668 and the like, which are developed to comply with such a demand, is suggested a ceramic base material to which, crystalline carbon whose peak is detected at a position of 44 to 45° in its X-ray diffraction chart, is added.